Haiti At A Glance

Haiti At A Glance

Haiti is a Caribbean country occupying the western third of Hispaniola, sharing the island with the Dominican Republic. It is about the size of the state of Maryland, 50 miles from Cuba, and 600 miles from Florida.

Haiti has historically been poverty stricken due to a variety of factors such as war, occupations and dictatorships, isolation and racism. These factors

are still impacting Haiti today along with current economic and environmental factors such as international aid sanctions, internal political conflict, deforestation that leads to soil erosion and flooding, hurricanes, and most recently the devastating earthquake in 2010. Leaving over 230,000 dead and over 1 million displaced. 

The average Haitian earns less than $2 a day. There have been estimates that 1 percent of the country's 9.7 million people control nearly half its wealth. More than half of the population lacks access to clean water or sanitation. Fifty percent of the population is undernourished, with one in five children underweight or under-height for their age.

Twelve percent of Haitian children die before their first birthday, and one third do not make it to their fifth.

Today most Haitians are Christian and 50-60 percent Roman Catholic. The number of Protestants has been growing steadily. Baptists and Pentecostals are the largest registered denominations, although many others are represented. Many Haitians continue to practice Voodoo or incorporate Voodoo into Christianity as has been done for several hundred years.

Even with all the struggles that Haiti faces, there remains a people with open arms and smiling faces. It is a culture rich in music, art, and storytelling. The land is graced with beautiful beaches and breathtaking mountains.